Related background art to this technical field can e.g. be found in the technical specification TR 36.902 current version: 1.2.0) of the 3GPP.
The following meanings for the abbreviations used in this specification apply:
3GPP: 3rd Generation Partnership Project
DRX: Discontinuous Reception
eNB: evolved Node B (eNodeB)
GPS: Global Positioning System
GSM: Global System for Mobile Communication
LTE: Long-Term Evolution
OAM: Operation and Maintenance
RRC: Radio Resource Control
SON: Self-Organizing Networks
UE: User Equipment
UMTS: Universal Mobile Telecommunications System
WiMAX: Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access
WLAN: Wireless Local Area Network
In current network operation and management evolution, there is a trend to simplify manual tasks by auto-configuration and auto-optimization solutions due to its high potential to save operational expenditures.
In parallel thereto, in standardization self-organizing networks (SON) are seen as one of the most promising future areas for similar reasons.
The main drivers for SON are:                The number and structure of network parameters have become large and configuration complex due to parameter dependencies;        The quick evolution of wireless networks has led to parallel and heterogeneous operation of infrastructures of the second and third generation of wireless communication networks; and        The rapidly expanding number of base stations with new deployment strategies (uncoordinated, heterogeneous) needs to be configured and managed economically.        
In summary, SON aims to configure and optimize the network automatically, so that the interaction of humans can be reduced and the capacity of the network can be increased.
A promising candidate for maximizing the total performance of networks by applying SON as part of the 3GPP LTE technology is a more efficient operation and maintenance. That is, by simplifying operational tasks through automated mechanisms such as self-configuration and self-optimization, the costs of installation and management can be reduced, thus leading to an improved OAM.